Angkor Wat

Another fascinating piece of history where I watched the sun rise at 3 stages...

I had to do the lame jumping photo.

The Fields

After my visit to S-21 I thought my day couldn’t get any more depressing until I arrived at the Killing Fields – the gravesites of prisoners. If you weren’t murdered prior to arrival this was the last place they would ever see. Under that very soil were the remains of nearly half of Cambodia’s population during the war. All at the hands of one evil man who’s namesake was Pol. Pot (political potential) – in actuality the potential for hell on earth. As I saw the remains of bones, skulls, and tattered clothing I was sick to my stomach and had a moment of terror in a paralytic state while a rush of painful chill ran through my veins.

If you have been to any site of genocide it is something you will never forget. Even in our most hopeless state of misery all it takes is one reflection on an experience like that to bring us back to clarity. 

S-21

Cambodia is a country that has faced major conflict and only recently has come to a point of functionality. Prone to military uprisings and its history as a pawn in many war conflicts the nation and its people have experienced major atrocities we as Westerners have never experienced.

Phnom Penh is known as the center of conflict in the past few decades and only in the last decade has become a symbol of Cambodia’s new beginning. The S-21 war prison, a former primary school converted into a death camp, exhibits the savagery of the country's past. Here is a glimpse into my experience while visiting this death camp.

I’m cringing as I hear the words of a Cambodian man, the brutality of genocide, imprisonment, torture, and death. Beads of sweat fall down my face joining my watery eyes forming tears of empathy. Only 20 years prior innocent human beings were tortured and murdered in the space before me. We cannot comprehend the horrors these people faced. As I left the room sick to stomach, I could not get the blood stained cement and iron shackles out of my mind. My heart ached even more as I heart his last mention of small children being murdered...

The Museum

In Saigon I was eager to see the Vietnam Propaganda.....I mean War Museum. It was hard for me to gather my thoughts as I saw endless posters, pictures, and video so one-sided it left no room for alternative understanding. Brainwashing tactics used by Ho Chi Minh and his regime to spread Communisum. Granted our foreign presence in Vietnam did not run smoothly and successfully I have never seen a national museum that depicted events so blatantly polarized. Propaganda like that I witnessed still remains everywhere in Vietnam according to my veteren friend Hai. Whom, after the war was sent to a military prison along with all those in the former South Vietnamese armed forces to be "reeducated" into Communism. I am so lucky to call the land of FREEDOM my home. 

Life on the Delta

A day trip to the Mekong Delta revealed an entirely different facet of Vietnam. It was beautiful as it was interesting to see how the community feeds life from and into the river. From the various wooden boats cruising by to fishermen bringing home the day's catch for their families. Mother nature was ever present around us bearing flora and fauna that create an entire ecosystem, supporting both wildlife and the people who call the Delta their home. 

 

The Trenches

I arrived in Saigon, or what is now referred to as Ho Chi Minh City. A name I can never bring myself to say especially after my visit to the Vietnam War tunnels of the Northern Viet Kong regime. Led by a Vietnamese veteran, I was given a first-hand and terribly graphic account of what occurred during the years of combat.

My new buddy "Hai" formerly served as a sergeant for South Vietnam, assisting the US during the War. The quirkiest and most lovable old man filled our ears with rather horrific stories, explaining the guerilla tactics used by the Viet Kong.

I was both saddened and enraged as I imagined the violence and demise of my countrymen having taken place on the ground I stood upon. Crawling through the tunnels and seeing the death traps put me over the edge...

When I emerged from the tunnels I heard guns firing in the distance and was told there was a shooting range on the property. I took that opportunity to release some inner frustrations with an M-16.

I'm no member of the NRA but shooting (in a controlled environment) is one of the most exhilarating experiences man can do. However, I can't even fathom aiming that weapon at another man. 

Then I took an inappropriate picture...or two

Motorcycle Diaries

Sometimes when traveling you need time to just chill and take a vacation from your vacation. I found my "weekend" in Hoi An, Vietnam. Everything I desired was before me. A fantastic beach was a motorcycle ride away and I was keen on some much needed beach time. A quick change of words with a local rental guy (sans the endless paperwork and expenses I'm accustomed to) was enough to get me on my journey. As the wind hit my face and I revved my bike past local villages and rice paddies, trading waves and smiles, I couldn't help but feel euphoric. When else would I get the chance to do something like this? Surely not at home.

He embodies the Hoi An lifestyle...

After a fantastic day at the beach. I was content and ready to pick up the custom-made suits, shirts, and shoes I had fitted day before...all for laughable prices. I finished the night with a fresh seafood dinner with some friends, a booze cruise around the marina, and lounged in the cabanas at my new favorite bar. REPEAT x 4 days and that was my Hoi An vacation :-).